


Soundtrack

by Stacysmash



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Day 5 Music, First Meetings, KuroDai Week 2018, M/M, Psychic Abilities, Romance, Slow Burn, bit of a soulmate vibe, canon compliant with a twist, friendships, training camp arc
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-10
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-05-04 20:45:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14601354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stacysmash/pseuds/Stacysmash
Summary: Kuroo Tetsurou was born with a birth defect... or super power. Whatever way he saw it depended entirely on the situation. Kenma told him it borderlined psychic abilities, but in a more useless way. Since birth, he was born with a soundtrack playing constantly in his head that only he could hear.Kurodai Week 2018 Day 5: Music





	1. First Meetings

Kuroo Tetsurou was born with a birth defect... or super power. Whatever way he saw it depended entirely on the situation. Kenma told him it borderlined psychic abilities, but in a more useless way. Since birth, he was born with a soundtrack playing constantly in his head that only he could hear. One downside was that he could never have complete silence, though when he needed to focus on schoolwork the music softened into gentle piano music or an easy listening track. Whenever he played volleyball, the music tended to be dramatic with moments of quiet tension to burst into triumphant melody when he would spike down the ball. If they happened to win the game, a powerful rock ballad would drum between his ears to enhance the feeling of power and euphoria.

The psychic part typically came into play when he met someone for the first time. Sometimes it reflected the new person’s personality, though it would often give him a hint at their future relationship. Kenma always had the same theme, since he had been his best friend since childhood. It was a lazy melody with the cool, airy tones of a clarinet. He liked Kenma’s theme, suiting the easy-going friendship between the two. Quite often, however, he liked to push Kenma out of his comfort zone, to which the sharp streaks of a violin would pierce through his head akin to the movie Psycho, warning him to back off.

When he met Yaku, he was prepared for a dramatic orchestral piece created for battle, complete with cannons firing in the background. As far as he was concerned, Yaku would always be his arch enemy and nothing else. But as he faced off against his fellow first year when they introduced themselves to their new team at Nekoma, he heard a softer tune instead. It was still orchestral, but with two different melodies playing that didn’t sound bad when played together. As Kai joined them to calm the obvious animosity between the two, an accompanying series of notes and beats joined the two melodies, threading them together to make something refreshing and new. That was one of the first times the music in his head had accurately predicted the friendship and trust that would develop between the three of them. It hadn’t taken long for Yaku and himself to set aside their many differences and embrace their common goal.

After that Kuroo learned to trust more in his psychic abilities, allowing the depth of the music to allow him to see different perspectives and give things a chance he wouldn’t normally. In a way it gave him more confidence and developed him into a natural leader. He’ll never forget the melody that played near the end of his second year when the team named _him_ the next captain. It was a grand piece of music, almost holy as if he had been granted a magical sword to help him care for and protect the village from the monsters that attacked from the surrounding magical forest. He wondered if the soundtrack would sometimes sound different if he didn’t play so many video games with Kenma.

It was early in his third year when Nekomata packed up their team and drove to Miyagi. They were set to play some practice matches with several different teams, but only one of them peeked his interest. Karasuno was known as “The Fallen Crows”, but they had a long history with Nekoma, started way back with Nekomata and Ukai Ikkei were in high school themselves and began the legendary rivalry. They had yet to play each other on the National stage, and Kuroo could see the hunger in Nekomata’s eyes telling him that this might be their year.

The first couple matches against the Miyagi teams were good practice, but hardly anything exciting. Even the soundtrack in his head was mainly filler music and nothing to draw attention to itself. But as their bus traveled closer to gym they were meeting at, the music began to quicken into a playful melody, full of expectation. He grinned out the window as he finally looked forward to an upcoming match.

“What are you smiling about?” Kenma asked, though his eyes were glued to the game in his hands.

“Nothing, I’m just looking forward to meeting Karasuno.”

“What’s the music telling you?”

“It sounds kind of fun? Like there’s a lot to expect from them, but nothing epic. I bet we’ll still be able to handle them.”

“Hmm.”

“That kid you were talking to the other day was a member of their team, right?”

“Shoyou? Yes, he was… interesting.”

“Oh ho? He was pretty tiny, but if he grabbed _your_ interest we should be in for a treat. I wonder what the captain’s like.”

“Why would you care about the captain?”

“Because the captain is the backbone of the team. Both the captain’s work ethic and inspiration can really pull the team along and drive the team’s style.”

“So, we’re a bunch of smart asses that let the music in our captain’s head dictate our every move?”

“... No, though everyone’s had a moment of clever smart assery. Even Inuoka burned Yamamoto so good the other day. I was so proud,” Kuroo sniffed as he wiped a fake tear from his eye. Kenma only grunted in response, since an eye roll would draw his focus from the game.

 As he stepped off the bus, he cringed at seeing Yamamoto already facing off with one of Karasuno’s players. Luckily Yaku was way ahead of him and shut down their rowdiest team member.

Kuroo lingered to the side as he glanced at each player in the black jerseys individually. Little Shrimpy was back beside Kenma, and he heard the trill of a lively flute rise above the melody that has been playing in Kuroo’s mind. It was a little jarring, wild and erratic like the flute hadn’t a clue, though it had the potential to fit with the rest of the instruments and make it exciting and fun. The player from Karasuno that was facing off with Yamamoto fit with the tune a little better, though it was a loud and brash trumpet sound, which oddly sounded like Yamamoto’s own theme.

He was beginning to develop a headache from the noisy flute and trumpet when one of Karasuno’s third years pulled trumpet boy into the gym. His music fit nicely, a wave of soothing violins. Kuroo followed behind the group as everyone drifted into the gym, wondering if the grey-haired boy was Karasuno’s captain.

He briefly paused in the doorway and looked in, gazing at the rest of the team to get a feel for them before the music in his head told him more. Several players in black jerseys passed by him; more random instruments and still none of them quite in sync with the melody.

“Cheating again?” Kai’s voice interrupted, quieting the music so he could focus on conversation instead.

“I’m not cheating… not on purpose anyways.”

Kai laughed and shook his head. “I would say you’ve embraced it and are using it to your advantage… so cheating.”

“Whatever, would you rather we didn’t have a clue what the other team was like?”

“Nah, I appreciate it. So, what intel have you gathered thus far, Captain?”

Kuroo took a deep breath and surveyed the gym once again. Not many people knew of his gift. For a while it was only Kenma and his parents that knew (and the doctors who thought his parents were crazy). Eventually he gave in and told Kai and Yaku as well, since they were suspicious of his supernatural ability to read people. They didn’t believe it at first, but after a while, and with Kenma’s insistence, they took his word for it.

“I don’t know, I sense a lot of energy from this team, and quite a bit of team loyalty which is surprising. Regardless they’re not in tune with each other. I would say they’re a freshly put together team that hasn’t worked out the kinks. This should be interesting though, they should be full of surprises.”

“I see. That’s the captain by the way, speaking with Nekomata and their coach.”

Kuroo perked up and peered across the gym. As soon as his eyes laid on the Karasuno player speaking with their coach, he could tell he was the captain. He oozed reliability and confidence, and even at that distance the melody grew even louder as a series of piano notes tinkled in his head, playing in almost perfect sync with the melody. His stature wasn’t the most impressive, Kuroo thought with a stroke to his own ego. But the Karasuno captain still looked incredibly fit, and his looks weren’t too bad either.

“Go on, _Captain_. You better introduce yourself,” Kai laughed as he gave Kuroo a firm clap on the back.

“Yeah, yeah.”

As soon as he entered the gym, the Karasuno captain instinctively looked his way. He excused himself from the coaches and began to drift toward Kuroo, and the crescendo began. The melody played even stronger and thus solidifying his prediction that the guy walking toward him was the solid foundation of the team. Yet the notes took on a playful quality to them, which surprised Kuroo considering how the other captain seemed almost boring with his aura of steadfastness.

“I hear you’re Karasuno’s captain. I’m Kuroo Tetsurou, Nekoma’s captain.”

“Pleasure to meet you, I’m Sawamura Daichi.”

Kuroo’s _polite_ smile spread across his face as he reached out his hand, and without missing a beat the Karasuno captain mirrored the expression and action.

“We’re looking forward to our match today.”

“We’re looking forward to it, as well.”

The playful piano tune slowed down and fell into a lower register, becoming something almost seductive, and Kuroo finally realized what was lurking beneath Sawamura Daichi’s honest visage.

_This guy is the crafty type._

 

The practice games did indeed match with Kuroo’s predictions that they were more fun to play than the previous teams but needed to sync more as a unit. They weren’t short on energy, particularly the little ginger shrimpy as he continued calling for one more game. What was interesting to Kuroo, was that the longer they played, he could feel their fighting spirit as the various instruments began to blend bit by bit. By the end, they were still far from perfect, but it was only a matter of time. There was one player that caught his interest, their tall, first year middle blocker. He was skilled at reading others, but his aloof clarinet was the most out of sync of all. Kuroo could see a bit of conflict within him, either to care or not to, and he wondered if the four-eyed blonde would be able to pull it together.

As they packed up to leave, one thing was certain: Kuroo was convinced that Karasuno was the rival they have been waiting for. They might not be on-par with them yet, but the hunger in their eyes and the exciting melody they brought gave Kuroo confidence that they would get there sooner than most people would predict. Beside them Yamamoto gave a loud tearful goodbye to his crow counterpart, and Kuroo nearly winced in embarrassment.

“What are they doing?” Kenma asked.

“No clue. Just don’t look at them.”

Without even looking around, the clash of trumpets began to fade, and the swell of a gentle piano lured Kuroo’s attention away. He glanced up to see Daichi standing there, still full of confidence and pride despite the absolute slaughter from their practice matches. Kuroo’s _polite_ smile slipped on, as did Daichi’s, which sent goosebumps down Kuroo’s spine.

“Next time, we won’t lose!” Daichi said as they grasped hands.

“Next time, we still won’t lose!” Kuroo retorted as their grip tightened even more, both refusing to give in. Like his experience with Yaku, Kuroo expected the tune to change to reflect their rivalry and be more dramatic. As their hands began to shake from the pressure, Daichi’s piano gave way to an entirely different melody, one Kuroo heard often in the back of his mind that he almost considered his personal song. He’d never heard it blend with anyone else, the push and pull of a tango with the sly sway of an oboe. It sounded dead sexy to him with the blend of the piano, and Kuroo felt his face heat up from hearing _his_ song mixed with this other guy who was practically a stranger. He gulped as they finally released their hands, thankful to give his racing heart a break.

They all waved goodbye to their fated rivals and boarded the bus, and Kenma quickly picked up on Kuroo’s quietly contemplative mood.

“What happened?”

“Hm?”

“You never get unnerved like that. Was the other captain that intimidating?”

“It’s not that he was intimidating…”

“So, what was it?”

“I’m not sure yet, but it’s definitely the start of something.”

Kuroo pursed his lips and focused out the window at the charming landscape of Sendai, trying to ignore Kenma’s heavy gaze and the suspicious clarinet edging into his thoughts. He didn’t want it drowning out his own personal tune, and the lingering soft piano accompanying it as it slowly died out the further they traveled from Karasuno and its intriguing captain.


	2. Training Camp Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I did a poll on tumblr to see which story I had created needed a sequel or continuation, and Soundtrack won by a landslide. I am both amazed and humbled that so many people loved and connected with this story. I apologize that it's taken me a while to do because I wanted it to be as special as the first part. I am so nervous finally posting this, but I genuinely hope you all enjoy it *hides behind hands*

It was unusual for Kuroo to be so energetic at such an early hour, but it was impossible to resist the excitement thrumming around the gym as multiple teams worked together to set up each court. That, and a rock anthem was jamming out in his skull that seemed like it was straight out of a montage from a feel-good sports movie. It was all Kuroo could do to concentrate on unraveling a net and not mimic guitar riffs out loud. He must have done it a couple of times without realizing it from the occasional punch in the ribs from Yaku, but if anyone else asked he just shrugged and said he had some stupid song stuck in his head.

It was hardly the case, but it was plenty enough to explain to anyone who didn’t know of his condition. Or superpower, whatever you could call having a constant personal soundtrack rolling around your head that occasionally possessed psychic abilities. Every song that entered his mind either evoked his personal mood, the situation he was currently in or reflected the people surrounding him. In that case, the music sometimes indicated what type of person they were and even implicated what sort of relationship Kuroo would have with that person. That was where the psychic predictions came in, sometimes throwing Kuroo for a loop as he expected to be enemies with certain people and the music in his head informing him that they were destined to be friends.

“Hey, Kuroo! Karasuno’s bus just pulled up,” Yaku shouted as he jogged toward him and Kai as he jerked his thumb back over his shoulder toward the gym doors.

“Huh, already? I didn’t hear anything.”

“Kuroo-san, how could you hear their bus from here?” Lev asked, cocking his head as he stared down at him.

“Are you standing there for a reason, or are you going to roll that cart over to Shinzen’s court?”

“Oh, sorry!” He shouted and shoved the cart forward with more force than necessary, nearly mowing Shibayama down. Kuroo rolled his eyes and gave Kai a playful punch on the arm.

“Come on, let’s go hassle them—er, I mean, let’s make sure we properly greet our guests,” He corrected with a wide grin when Yaku arched an eyebrow at him with his arms folded across his chest. He snickered as they shoved passed their miniature teammate and leaned toward Kai to mutter, “We gotta make sure the country bumpkins don’t get lost in the parking lot.”

Kai smiled through his pursed lips, muffling the chuckle that was trying to burst through. When they slipped out the gym doors and wandered across the parking lot, he automatically noticed the reason why he didn’t hear Karasuno’s theme song in his head as they approached him. Most of the boisterous team looked fast asleep, lumbering down the steps of the bus like zombies. The only two who seemed wide awake and energetic were Karasuno’s pint-sized libero and Yamamoto’s bald twin. Kuroo shared a quick glance with Kai, and with a nod, they wandered closer to the pair as they gaped out at the Tokyo scenery. Even though the view was just of a suburban community, they seemed quite impressed with it as they could barely contain their excitement.

“Ooooh! That’s… could it be… Tokyo Skytree?!” They shouted at a tall, metal structure in the distance.

“No, that’s just a normal steel tower,” Kai explained good-naturedly, but Kuroo couldn’t hold back as he buckled over laughing. The crows had only just arrived and already they were making it worthwhile.

His reliable vice-captain led the way back inside for Karasuno as Kuroo wiped a few tears from his eyes. One figure remaining behind from the others caught his eye, someone who’s lingered in the back of his mind since meeting during Golden Week, all those months ago. Daichi winced as he watched his kohai yawn as they stumbled toward the gym, but his expression softened as he noticed Kuroo’s approach.

“Good to see you again, Captain Crow. Ready to have your asses handed to you all weekend?”

Daichi’s eye twitched at the jab, but the rest of his expression remained stoic. “I think you’ll find we’ve grown quite a lot since you last saw us. You better prepare yourself for more losses than usual, Kuroo.”

Kuroo snickered, enjoying the familiar way that Daichi pushed back on his taunts. It was then that he realized that most of the sports montage anthem had faded away in his head though the same energetic melody continued with Daichi’s signature piano. It was reminiscent of when they first met several months before, giving him a sense of Deja Vous. The hazy familiarity of the tinkling piano made Kuroo feel like he knew Daichi better than he did considering they hadn’t spoken since they last met. He wanted to talk to him about it or slip into a deeper conversation as if they were already old friends and it frustrated him that he couldn’t without ruining their friendship before it even began.

When Daichi cocked his head at him because of his silence, Kuroo laughed awkwardly and shook off the strange feelings of imaginary intimacy with the rival captain.

“Hey, by the way, aren’t you missing some people?” He asked, glancing at the rest of Karasuno. Daichi winced at the question and heaved a deep sigh.

“Well, the thing is…” Daichi proceeded to explain that Kageyama and Hinata had failed their exams, preventing them from joining the training camp with everyone else. As Kuroo led him toward the gym doors while he listened to the story, he could feel the regret emanating from Daichi that he was trying hard to hide, determined to defend their team’s honor without two of their most talented members present. He had to admit he had been looking forward to going against the troublesome rug rats himself and he knew Kenma would be disappointed as well.

“Huh. So that superhuman combo is taking supplementary lessons right about now?”

“Yeah… but, well—” Daichi began, grinning as he was about to say something else, but an obnoxious cry of despair nearby interrupted him, startling them both.

“Th... Th… The girls have multiplied!!! Now there’s a pretty one and a cute one!” Yamamoto cried from where he was kneeling in front of Karasuno’s manager and another girl right behind her. Kuroo shared a glance with Daichi and rolled his eyes to which the other man huffed out a laugh and shook his head. They turned back to the pathetic scene as Tanaka stepped in front of the managers with his arms spread wide.

“Take a good look Tora… This is the sanctity of Karasuno,” He said and Kuroo swore he heard a majestic gong resound in his head to accompany Tanaka’s sage words as the morning sun seemed to radiate around him.

“Kuh! So bright!” Yamamoto yelled, shielding his eyes as Tanaka roared with proud laughter. The girls ignored the noisy pair and continued into the gym to join the rest of their team. Kuroo turned back to Daichi to find that he was joined by his fellow third years, all three of them eyeing the doors of the gym with steely determination. He shivered as the music changed to a variation of Karasuno’s personal theme. It wasn’t as playful, however, with just those three standing with him. The tune was slowed down with their individual instruments threading together with an almost somber feel to it.

He didn’t need to be a mind-reader to know what they were feeling or having the music as a hint. He felt the same way, after all, along with Kai and Yaku. Both teams had failed during the Interhigh prelims, and they had only one more shot to reach the top and face each other on the National stage. There was a lot standing in the way of their goal, but the Karasuno third years were determined to beat every obstacle. He grinned, a fresh surge of excitement filling him knowing that his dream to face Karasuno in a game with no second chances was also shared with Daichi.

“Well, head over to the gymnasium as soon as you’re all set. The rest are already gathering there,” He finally said, his words only enhancing the serious expression on Daichi’s face

“Got it.”

He went on into the gym ahead of the trio, getting smacked in the face with a blast of heat and the delightful aroma of sweat, as well as being fully immersed back in the sports anthem. He lingered by the sidelines as he watched the Tokyo teams pause during their warm-ups to eye up the newcomers, whispering to themselves. Kenma looked confused as he looked over Karasuno, obviously looking for his little buddy.

_Hmm, another thing to be disappointed about_ , he mused. Kenma’s quick friendship with Hinata surprised him but it also filled him with relief that it sparked Kenma’s interest in volleyball. Even more than that, he enjoyed seeing his best friend branching out beyond their team to make friends.

“You look lost in thought,” A voice startled him from his stupor, and he glanced next to him to see Daichi joining him with a slight smile on his lips. There was something teasing about it, especially with the way his eyes seemed to be glittering under the bright lights of the gym.

“A little,” He responded and nodded toward his team. “I think Kenma’s bummed the little Shrimpy isn’t here.”

“Oh, I was about to say earlier, but they should be arriving later this afternoon. Tanaka’s sister is picking them up after their supplementary lessons and coming straight here.”

“Ah, that’s a relief! Well, I better run through the whole set-up with you. Once everyone’s warmed up, we’ll focus on rotating around, so every team plays each other.”

“Got it.”

“Each set, the team who lost does one lap of flying falls around the court as a penalty.”

He continued explaining the games and the different teams they’ll be facing, offering a little insight into what he could expect. His rival captain listened intently, even turning his body slightly toward Kuroo as he leaned down toward Daichi to be sure he heard him over the slam of volleyballs and shouts echoing throughout the space. As he spoke near Daichi’s ear, he couldn’t help glancing at how soft his dark brown hair looked. Instead of the sharp smells usually associated with a bunch of high school boys packed into a hot gym, he could pick up the scent of fresh soap and lavender detergent on his crisp, white shirt.

He leaned away quickly before he did something embarrassing, like wrap his arm around Daichi and sniff his hair. What was he, a dog? Even with a little more distance between them, Daichi turned his gaze back up at him and captured Kuroo with his warm, brown eyes that were reminiscent of warm cocoa.

It was then that he realized the music had totally changed. It wasn’t a sports anthem, it wasn’t Karasuno’s theme or even his own song. It was gentle but beginning to swell with a whole section of stringed instruments blended together. Kuroo’s lips parted, but he couldn’t say anything as all his attention was captured by the music, his heart beating faster as the enchanting melody seemed to sweep around them like a wayward breeze.

“Kuroo? Are you okay?” Daichi asked as his hand pressed against his arm, inciting another spike in volume to the music. Kuroo laughed nervously and ran a hand through his hair, but he did nothing to shake off Daichi’s warm touch.

“Yeah, sorry. I totally just lost my train of thought.”

“Well, it sounded like you were finishing up our instructions. It looks like they’re ready to start, if there’s something you forgot you can just catch up to me later.”

“Sure, yeah, sounds good.”

The warmth of Daichi’s smile washed over him, and he could only imagine how dopey his face was as he gave his arm one final squeeze and walked back to his team. He cleared his throat and mentally wafted away the strange fragments of romance that had no business being there. And if his eyes accidentally glanced at Daichi’s ass as he walked away, well, that had nothing to do with it.

Despite a few initial glances of judgment from Yaku and Kenma as he rejoined his team, Kuroo slipped back into normalcy with the onset of practice games. The music in his mind remained energetic and playful, the tune often changing depending on which team they were facing. It was easy to get swept back up in the groove, and soon all the weird thoughts regarding Daichi had drifted to the background. Whenever Karasuno lost another game, however, he couldn’t resist catching Daichi’s eye as he did his flying falls past Nekoma’s court and _encouraging_ the other captain with a particularly smug grin.

They were already into their afternoon games when Kuroo heard a dramatic change to the atmosphere, one only he could hear. It was so soft he could barely even register the music at all. Haunting notes stretched out like shallow breaths in a deep sleep. Luckily, Nekoma had just finished a set against Ubugawa, giving him a chance to wipe his face on his sleeve and glance around the gym to give him a clue what was going on. Karasuno was making another round of the gym with their penalty flying falls while the other teams were taking a water break, nothing out of the ordinary. He remained wary, however, as the music began to blossom with more instruments, a rhythmic accompaniment of drums and even powerful vocalizations.

“Kuro? What is it?” Kenma asked, which surprised Kuroo since it wasn’t often Kenma was curious about the music.

“I don’t know, something’s changing, or maybe—”

Everyone in the gym glanced toward the gym doors as they opened, a young woman with blonde hair fitting inside it with a relieved grin on her face. Karasuno greeted her enthusiastically and as she stepped inside with a dramatic crescendo to the music, she revealed two figures behind her, panting and sweating even though they just arrived.

_Ah, that’s what I was waiting for_.

“The leading actors making a late entrance, huh? Kinda pisses me off,” He scoffed out loud, but Kenma looked too excited to see his new friend to feel the same. Yaku stepped close to him, his eyes gleaming with eagerness to finally face Karasuno at their strongest.

“Let me guess, the music’s pretty crazy right now?”

“Yeah, it’s obnoxious. You’d think those two had volunteered for a suicide mission to blow up an asteroid and ended up making it back to Earth alive.”

“Ew, that cheesy, huh? Well, Karasuno deserves a break.”

“Do they though?” Kuroo asked, chuckling in the most sinister way possible.

As predicted, Karasuno had an easier time against the Tokyo teams after that. They still had yet to win a game against Nekoma or Fukurodani, but Kuroo could see the dramatic change over the team since they last met. Back then, their song seemed to reflect what their status as a team was, energetic but chaotic and out of sync. All their time practicing and working their way up at the Interhigh prelims had molded them into a unit, a team working in tandem as it should.

Kuroo tried focusing only on the game when they finally faced them as a complete team, but their song seemed to hint at something else that wasn’t quite right. Sure, it sounded more complete, all the instruments working at the same tempo and feeling, but it almost seemed… dare he say it, boring. Karasuno had achieved stability, but they would need more than that if they were going to make it to Nationals.

It wasn’t that Karasuno wasn’t determined; there was a fire in their eyes and an edge to their music as they fought tooth and nail against them. Even with Kageyama and Hinata back with the team, they still couldn’t defeat Nekoma and suffered another loss. Hinata seemed to be eyeing Lev in particular, and though Lev was a true challenge to even the other’s extreme jump height and speed, Hinata didn’t seem scared. He looked hungry.

_Good… hopefully that hunger will have the whole team stepping it up_ , Kuroo thought as they switched courts and took a quick break while Karasuno did another lap of penalties.

Unfortunately, the rest of the weekend continued in the same way, but with mounting tension boiling amidst Karasuno’s own team. Even their song seemed to reflect it, no energy at all but with more of an ominous quality to it. There was discordance between Hinata and Kageyama, the monster duo, and even some weirdness between Hinata and Asahi, Karasuno’s ace. _It’ll either push them forward or break them to pieces_ , Kuroo thought as he observed them their final morning. As much as the tension seemed to stress out Karasuno, Kuroo had faith it would work itself out and push them forward. There was one member of their team, however, that seemed even more displaced than the rest. He remembered the first-year kid with glasses from Golden Week, having a bit of aloofness toward volleyball despite his obvious skills and intelligence. Kuroo tried hard to recall what his bit in the music sounded like, he knew there was _something_ there. What alarmed him more than anything was the way Karasuno’s theme seemed to cut out completely whenever the focus was on Tsukishima, like a radio station turning to static. The music was usually flowing constantly through his mind, even in quiet moments it was very soft, but it concerned him that whatever Tsukishima was going through personally that it would have that kind of effect on his superpower.

He wondered what it could be. Was he rejecting fate? Nah, despite his gift being weirdly supernatural, this wasn’t a fairy tale and fate had nothing to do with it. Perhaps he’s fighting more against himself, rejecting who he was and everything around him? To Kuroo, it almost seemed like the statuesque first year was drifting out to sea with only a single rope connecting him to everyone, and the rope itself was fraying.

Unfortunately, the weekend was over and Karasuno would be leaving after their afternoon games. There wasn’t enough time for him to do anything about it. But the next training camp was just around the corner, and there would be plenty of time to butt in, like the kind senpai he was. It gave him some time to work out a plan, but he knew he couldn’t handle it alone. The kid needed a really big push to get out of his own head. Now, who did he know that could give Megane-kun a healthy dose of inspiration or irritation?

He should have sensed the change in the music, especially since whatever theme that had been playing faded and was replaced with the rhythmic beat of a Taiko drum. Even as his foot tapped to the quickening tempo that was becoming erratic and increasing volume, he paid no attention as he took a long drink of water.

“Hey, hey, Kuroo!” A louder-than-necessary voice boomed in his ear, causing him to choke and sputter on his water. Luckily, he got most of it swallowed before he was pummeled forward as a bulky body slammed into his back and wrapped his arms around him to keep him stable, laughing at Kuroo’s obvious displeasure. “Don’t look at me like that. You still going to do extra blocking for me next time?”

“I don’t know, have you seen Lev’s receives? Yaku and I are basically renaming our next training camp as _boot camp_ instead, and we’ll be taking turns doing the dirty work.”

Bokuto snickered and gave him a rough pat on the back. “That’s fine! I’ll take what I can get. I wonder if any of Karasuno’s middle blockers would be up for it.”

Kuroo froze, his eyes widening as he held up a hand. “Bokuto, you… are… a… genius!”

“Huh, I am? Well, I mean—” Bokuto blushed and chuckled as he scratched the back of his head.

“Listen, I’ll help while I can, but I’m beginning to formulate a plan that will help Karasuno propel forward and get them to Nationals! All while helping you with blocking practice.”

“Cool! I have no idea what’s going on, but I’m here for you, Bro.”

“Thanks, but just keep this between us, alright?”

Bokuto frowned and cocked his head. “What about Akaashi?”

The moment he spoke his setter’s name, the delicate _twang_ of a shamisen blended in with the drums as it always did whenever Kuroo was around Bokuto and Akaashi. It was always so subtle and perfectly balanced that he could never remember what they sounded like individually.

“Eh, fine, but just him. He’ll need to know anyway because you’ll be dragging him along too, right?”

“Of course! Who else is going to set for me?”

“Pfft, good point. No one else would set for you.”

The wild drum banging around in his head combined with Bokuto’s voice was beginning to give him a headache. He was rescued by the coaches announcing lunch and instantly Bokuto was gone, racing ahead of the crowd as he whooped and hollered the entire way.

Kuroo allowed the mass to wander out of the gym ahead of him, lingering behind to give himself some breathing room. He loved training camp and being around all his old friends and rivals, but there were times when he craved to have some quiet as well. He ran his towel through his damp hair and over his face and neck, relishing in his own soothing theme entering his mind. It was like a cocoon, blocking out any lingering thoughts and plans to give his mind some much-needed rest. He hummed along with it, the easy sway of the oboe in his head with the playful piano chords bumping along with it as if both instruments were dancing around each other.

“That’s a nice song,” A deep voice lured him from his thoughtless existence as he was meandering out of the gym. He glanced to his left to see Daichi approaching him as he flipped his own towel over his shoulder. Kuroo was speechless for a moment, thrown off by not only Daichi’s piano sneaking into his song like a ninja breaking into a vault but also the fact that Daichi seemed to like the tune. Kuroo cleared his throat and shrugged it off, hoping his face wasn’t as red as it felt.

“Thanks, it’s just some random song in my head.”

“That’s a shame. If you remember the name of it, you should tell me. It’s catchy.”

_Okay, now he’s teasing me,_ Kuroo mused, narrowing his eyes at the mischievous grin forming on Daichi’s lips.

“Sure thing. Come on, we better get going or Bokuto won’t leave us any food.”

Fear flickered across Daichi’s face and he grabbed Kuroo’s arm to rush him out the door as the tempo of their shared song went frantic.

“Let’s hurry. I think I’ll die if I don’t get some food.”

Kuroo cackled and slipped his hand over Daichi’s to calm him but didn’t remove it from his arm. “Easy Sawamura! I was just joking, they always have enough food for us garbage disposals.”

A tint of red blossomed across Daichi’s cheeks as he slowed his pace, his hand slipping away from Kuroo to mess with the hem of his shirt instead. “Oh, thank goodness.”

“Good job this weekend, by the way. Give it another week of training and no other team in Japan will be able to challenge your perfected flying falls.”

Daichi clicked his tongue and gave Kuroo a light shove with his shoulder, but that only amused him more.

“We’ll get you guys one of these days, even if it’s when we meet up at Nationals,” He shot back with genuine confidence.

Both took a moment to inhale the delightful aroma of the freshly cooked food as they entered the cafeteria. Kuroo smirked at Daichi as his eagerness to eat made him look like an excited puppy. He resisted the urge to pat his head and instead led him toward the dwindling lunch line.

“It’s a bit late to be bringing it up, but all of you third years at Karasuno stuck around too, huh.”

“Yeah. You guys were up against last year’s champions on the second day of Interhigh Prelims, right? I heard about it from Hinata.”

“Yeah. We only made it as far as the best eight,” Kuroo responded, his mood dropping slightly at the vicious reminder.

“Best eight in Tokyo is amazing, though.”

“We’ve gotta win and advance to the next round or there’s no point.”

“True, that.”

They paused their conversation long enough for them to get their food and took a quick glance around for somewhere to sit. Their friends were already in clumps with all the teams mixed together. Kuroo nodded to an open spot at the end of one table, enough for at least the two of them. A strange feeling squirmed in his stomach as Daichi smiled and went straight for the spot. It was reminiscent of snatching the chance to sit with a crush, and with _that_ thought, Kuroo grew even more nervous. He tried shrugging it away and concentrating on his food as Daichi did the same, but after a while the rival captain began picking at the remnants, opening and closing his mouth like he had something to say and was having trouble spitting it out.

“Something on your mind, Sawamura?” He asked, trying to subdue his smirk and the desire to tease the other man. Daichi twerked his mouth to the side and stared at him for a moment, finally glancing away and rubbing his neck awkwardly.

“Yeah, um, I’m glad Hinata’s in contact with Kozume so we can be updated on how you guys are doing. However, I think maybe it would be best if I get my information straight from you. Not that I don’t trust Kozume, it’s more the fact that we’re playing telephone and my information is being filtered through Hinata, who tends to exaggerate things sometimes,” He laughed, seeming more confident as he finally met Kuroo’s eye. “What I’m trying to say is, I think perhaps we should exchange numbers ourselves. You know, captain to captain.”

The desire to tease Daichi was overpowering, especially as he seemed to falter as soon as he asked. But the fear that he’d retract the delicious offer subdued Kuroo’s naturally provocative nature and instead he fished his phone from his pocket, holding it out for Daichi with a genuine smile.

“Yeah, I think that’s a good idea. Especially since, as exaggerated as Shrimpy is, Kenma’s more pessimistic and won’t offer you much input.”

“That’s what I figured. Thanks,” Daichi said with a touch of shyness that pelted Kuroo’s heart with a thousand little arrows. He bit his lip as they switched phones and focused on putting his information in Daichi’s phone. Once he was finished, he cocked his head at where he had put his name and flickered his gaze up at Daichi. His eyebrows were furrowed as he continued inserting his information, and Kuroo wanted to reach across and massage the tension in his forehead. He craved to chip away at any remaining formality between them, to lure out the childish nature residing beneath Daichi’s mature visage. With a quiet giggle, he erased his name and put _Cat Daddy_ instead, with a smiling cat emoji right after it.

Daichi was eyeing him suspiciously when Kuroo looked up and handed Daichi’s phone back to him with a smug grin on his face. Immediately perusing the new information on his phone, Daichi rolled his eyes when he had seen what Kuroo had put.

“Really?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll change yours to something cute too.”

“No, you don’t have to trouble yourself.”

“I insist!” Kuroo laughed as he leaned back, avoiding the swipe of Daichi’s hand as he tried to grab Kuroo’s phone back. “Let’s see… Captain Crow? Country Bumpkin-san? Hot Legs?”

“What?”

“What?”

“Ugh, fine, do what you want,” Daichi grumbled as he looked back down at his plate, though his lips were curling up in a smile. Kuroo pursed his lips and tapped away on his phone, giggling before he had even finished. “What did you choose?” Daichi asked, leaning forward to peer at it but Kuroo pulled it away, so he couldn’t see.

“You’ll find out.”

“Why won’t you tell me now?”

Kuroo shrugged and put his phone back in his pocket. “Just think of it as something to look forward to.”

Daichi rolled his eyes and chuckled. “I don’t think I have a shortage of things to look forward to.”

“Oh? Such as…?” Kuroo asked, leaning forward as his eyes glittering with interest. Daichi observed him for a moment, considering something before leaning forward himself with a challenging grin.

“I can’t wait to wipe that smirk off your face when we beat you at Nationals.”

“Ha! I’d like to see you try, Sawamura- _san_. My smirk is unrelenting.”

Daichi’s smile deepened, prickling dimples into his cheeks and inciting the music to change once again. The swell of the orchestra rose and washed over Kuroo like a refreshing ocean wave on sun-baked sand. The prickling harp was as delicate as the tint of pink dusting across Daichi’s cheeks, just under his bright, expectant eyes. It seemed to dim the rest of the noises in the room, even calming the chaos surrounding them as Kuroo was held transfixed by Daichi’s gaze.

“We’ll see about that,” Daichi replied in a deep voice, loud enough for only Kuroo to hear. It sent shivers down his spine and had him wishing he had more time to spend with the other captain before they went back home in just a couple of hours. To play their rivalry against each other with challenging banter to mask the subtle flirtation that has been edging itself in. He wanted to swim in the melodies Daichi’s presence brought with him that intrigued Kuroo as much as they soothed him, each one containing a clue to the mystery of what their shared destiny held.

_Next time_ …

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you may have noticed, I left the chapters open-ended. I am not sure when I'll have time to update the next chapter, but I'm determined to make it happen eventually. If you enjoyed it and definitely want me to continue, positive comments always help fuel motivation! Thank you, everyone, who voted in my poll, this definitely wouldn't have happened without your constant support. Special shout out to [FinnTheBunneh](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Finnthebunneh/pseuds/Finnthebunneh) especially for her awesome encouragement and inspiration :)

**Author's Note:**

> Most of the idea behind this was inspired by Sergei Prokofiev’s OP 67: Peter and the Wolf, Peter’s main theme is similar to what I imagine for Karasuno’s theme. Kenma’s theme is from it as well, The Cat, and Hinata’s is The Bird. Kuroo’s theme is inspired by Piazzolla’s Oblivion. The other ones mentioned in the story weren’t inspired by anything specific, but by soundtracks in general how characters in a movie tend to have a personal theme with certain instruments giving the audience a hint of their personality.  
> Before you’re all like “Whoa, Stacy and all her snooty music”, my introduction to Peter and the Wolf was the Disney cartoon… which I highly recommend ;)  
> And I listen to soundtracks as background while I write, it helps evoke a mood


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